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Sunny Island Foot Spa has been the subject of a two-month NPD investigation. Courtesy Craigslist

By Lauren Feldman

The Aug. 13 meeting of the Northport Board of Trustees revealed shocking details from a months-long investigation by the Northport Police Department. Chief of Police Christopher Hughes reported on the conclusion of an inquiry into a local spa suspected of prostitution.

Sunny Island Foot Spa, located at 377 Fort Salonga Road, first drew police attention in June when “alarming” advertisements appeared on Craigslist. The ads, Hughes said, described spa services as performed by “sweet and discreet pretty girls” and the “best service” by “young and beautiful girls from Asia.” The ad has since been removed, and a subsequent one posted in July refrained from mentioning spa employees.

“Our investigation began immediately following the June ad,” Hughes said. While the investigation did not yield evidence of prostitution, Hughes noted that the spa’s ads were listed on “several websites known to advertise adult services.” He added, “The mere messaging in the ads can easily attract individuals looking for those types of services.” Hughes also reported that police observed only male clientele entering and leaving the premises during the investigation.

On Aug. 8 and 9, Jing Fang Zhou, 50, and Lisi Ou, 38, both of Flushing, were arrested for the “unauthorized practice of a profession.” Hughes thanked lead investigator Detective Stephen Kerekes, the county district attorney [Ray Tierney] and his team. “We were able to work together to identify an illegitimate business and effectively end their illicit operation,” Hughes said.

Since last week’s arrests, the spa is reportedly vacant, and Hughes noted that no further traffic has been observed in or around the establishment.

At the same meeting, the board approved Hughes’ resolution, which adds another detective position to the Northport Police Department. Officer Sean Sagistano was recommended for the position and, per the resolution, “will not receive the additional pay and benefits he is entitled to under the collective bargaining agreement until the day after Stephen Kerekes vacates his current position of detective.” The board also clarified that this measure will not increase the size of the police department, and Sagistano will continue to be assigned to patrol duties.

Resolution 2024-139 also drew attention from the board. The resolution authorizes Mayor Donna Koch to execute a contract to purchase a new ambulance. Residents may be aware that an ongoing ambulance purchase has been progressing slowly for some time.

In February 2022, the village passed a resolution to purchase another ambulance from a company that has yet to deliver. As a result, the fire commissioner met with Koch last week to discuss purchasing an alternative unit: a 2024 Ford F-550 Wheeled Coach through LI Proliner Inc., estimated to cost $470,343.

The initial unit, the village is being told, will not be ready until the end of the first quarter of 2025, which may lead to its cancellation. Koch emphasized that the new unit is a stock model with everything the department needs. Additionally, the unit includes a Stryker, a part worth $100,000 that is already included with the vehicle. The board approved the measure to move forward with this purchase, but the decision to cancel the initial ambulance order was not voted on at this time.

Board meetings are held once a month at the Northport Village Hall, 224 Main St., Northport. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 6 p.m. For more information, visit northportny.gov.

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Grace Miller, pictured with Councilman Manzella and Town Clerk LaValle, won first place in the women's division this year. Photo courtesy of TOB
Hunter Wilson, pictured with Councilman Manzella and Town Clerk LaValle, won first place in the men's division this year. Photo courtesy of TOB
Runners line up for the 2024 Run the Farm race. Photo courtesy of TOB

On August 10, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Neil Manzella and Town Clerk Kevin LaValle co-hosted the Annual Shoprite Run the Farm 4 Mile Run/Walk to benefit Bethel Hobbs Community Farm in Centereach. Hundreds of runners and spectators attend the Run the Farm 4 Mile Run/Walk each year. This year, over 200 runners participated and more than 350 community members joined the post-race celebrations. Hunter Wilson was the male leader at 21 minutes, 16 seconds and Grace Miller was the female leader at 25 minutes, 31 seconds. Ms. Miller beat her own record from last year. 

The historic Bethel Hobbs Community Farm is one of Long Island’s last remaining, all-volunteer farms. Established in 1906, this not-for-profit farm embodies the spirit of giving by donating as much as 90% of its annual harvest to feed those less fortunate. Hobbs Farm raises over 100,000 pounds of food each year which is donated to various food pantries around Long Island. 

Councilman Manzella and Town Clerk LaValle thanked the organizers and runners who participated as well as the sponsors, Suffolk County Police Department 6th Precinct; Town of Brookhaven Highway Department; Town of Brookhaven Public Safety; Centereach Fire Department; and the event producers, EliteFeats. They also acknowledged Hobbs Farm owner, Ann Pellegrino, all the dedicated volunteers and vendors who helped make the Shoprite Run the Farm 4 Mile Run/Walk. 

They also thanked the event sponsors, including Suffolk County Legislators Leslie Kennedy and Nick Caracappa; ShopRite; New York Blood & Cancer; Pepsi; Bethel AME Church; Middle Country Chamber of Commerce; John T. Mather Memorial Hospital; Stony Brook UUP; Mondelez International; Frito Lay; Team Rita; Island Nursing and Rehab; Techworks; Brooklyn Delights; Bimbo Bakeries; Campbells and Dunkin Donuts. 

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Sanitation truck. File photo

By Peter Sloniewsky

In June, waste-incinerator Covanta agreed to pay the Town of Brookhaven $1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company trucked hazardous ash to the town’s Yaphank landfill. While the settlement is pending in the Nassau County Supreme Court, town Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said he has “no reason to believe that it wouldn’t be approved.”

The lawsuit was filed in 2013 by whistleblower Patrick Fahey, a former Covanta Hempstead employee, on behalf of local governments that sent municipal waste to the Covanta plant in Westbury. Brookhaven accepted the resulting ash at its Yaphank landfill.

Covanta, which announced in April a name rebranding to Reworld Waste, has denied any wrongdoing.

Fahey’s attorney, David Kovel, has said that his client “doesn’t think the town is acting in the best interests of its citizens” in agreeing to settle for $1 million, and opposed the settlement with a court filing. Kovel added that only the state Attorney General’s Office has standing to settle, and that “it is astonishing that the Town of Brookhaven would sell out its citizens” by accepting such a “sweetheart” settlement.

Members of the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group shared similar sentiments in a June 6 statement at a Brookhaven Town Board meeting. Group co-founder Monique Fitzgerald said, “It is despicable that this settlement would give Covanta a pass, while continuing to force community members to carry the burden,” adding, “This agreement comes without any input from the community.” She noted that Covanta would be absolved of any future financial responsibility for pollution cleanups in the area.

BLAR group has also called for the immediate closure of the landfill, which was previously slated to be closed in 2027 or 2028, and for there to be an immediate cleanup of the North Bellport community’s air, land and water. Town officials have yet to provide a firm timeline for closing the Yaphank facility.

Panico, when asked whether the town will earmark the settlement money for the benefit of the North Bellport community or for remediation at the landfill, said, “We’re doing work far in excess of that $1 million figure. Our commitment to the people of North Bellport is long-standing and strong.”

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Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. File photo

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), New York State Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) and county Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. (D) released public safety announcements to remind the public of the dangers of drunk and drugged driving. They further discussed the importance of staying at the scene of a crash, as well as the legal and financial ramifications of a criminal arrest. 

“We are more than half-way through this year’s ‘100 deadliest days of driving.’ In Suffolk County alone, there have been at least 20 fatalities since Memorial Day weekend, many of which were caused by drunk or drugged drivers. That is almost three lives lost per week, many of which were completely preventable, and despite the prevalence and convenience of ride-shares,” Tierney said.

“Drunk and drugged drivers threaten the lives of random and innocent roadway users of every age, gender, ethnicity and economic status, every single day throughout [our state],” he added.

In 2022 Long Island saw 245 people die in crashes, with 164 in Suffolk County alone — a third of which involved DWIs. According to a member of the SCPD, ​​“Suffolk County holds the trophy for [these accidents], and it’s not a good trophy to hold.”

Murray, Toulon and Tierney doubled-down on their pledge to fight for the safety of all New Yorkers.

“Drunk and drugged drivers threaten the lives of random and innocent roadway users of every age, gender, ethnicity and economic status, every single day throughout [our state],” Tierney said.

They further urged all Long Islanders not to drive under the influence of any alcohol/drugs, regardless of the amount, since the officials want everyone to remember that any amount of alcohol or drugs in a person’s system is too much when it comes to driving.

Furthermore, these officials stressed the desire to have the Deadly Driving Bill passed in Albany, “to save countless lives, and make our roadways safer across New York State.”

This bill would call on lawmakers to close a great many of the loopholes in drugged driving laws. More specifically, the Deadly Driving Bill would end the allowance of an individual to avoid arrest and prosecution for operating a vehicle while drugged, unless the officer can pinpoint the drug by which the driver is impaired — while said drug must be listed in Section 3306 of the Public Health Law, as well.

Murray voiced concern over the specifics of legalized marijuana, as he feels that many have been left wondering whether it is appropriate to ingest any amount of it before taking the wheel.

“When New York State rushed through legislation to legalize marijuana, it was done so in a way that left many questions unanswered. Who can legally sell it? Who can legally buy it, use it or consume it?” Murray said. “There is definitely a need to educate the public [on this], and I’m thrilled to team with Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney and Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. to put these PSAs out to the public, to help facilitate that process.”

All public safety announcements can be found on the Suffolk County District Attorney’s  website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/da.

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Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (right.) File photo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R) held a Zoom press conference with local media publications Friday, July 26.

Romaine’s opening remarks emphasized the importance of local media, and his desire to give the press an opportunity to “write the stories you need to write.”

He then briefly discussed some of his seven-month tenure’s accomplishments, including the approval of the Water Quality Restoration Act that aims to rectify Suffolk’s sewer systems subject to a referendum on Election Day, Nov. 5.

Romaine is looking to put sewer infrastructure “on steroids,” as 70% of the county utilizes pollutant-rich cesspools.” His plan is to put “densely populated areas of Suffolk, whenever possible, on sewers,” and the less densely-populated areas on Innovative/Alternative septic systems that will denature the ground and surface water.

Romaine stated that the county will be purchasing new vehicles for the Suffolk County Police Department as well, and he intends to improve police and county government’s mental health services.

Additionally, the county executive expressed concern that Long Island is being “short changed” by the state and federal governments, in which the Island “does not get its fair share.”

“I want to know what happened to the infrastructure money that I supported that President Biden [D] put forward, or the environmental bond issue that the governor put forward, which I supported. … I just don’t see that money flowing to Long Island,” he said.

He gave a local example where Suffolk is deprived of comparative support: “For bus transportation and funding, we get $40 million. Nassau County, which is one-third the size of Suffolk, gets $103 million.”

Romaine went on to share that recently he submitted “one of the largest capital budgets in Suffolk’s history.”

This comes from his wish to fix many of the county’s dilapidated properties that have lacked maintenance. “It’s time that we maintain our roads, our bridges and our infrastructure,” he said.

Romaine went on to discuss his objective to lessen the Island’s high traffic congestion: “How about redoing the bridge over Nicholls Road? How about adding a third lane to the Sagtikos/Sunken Meadow Parkway?”

Furthermore, Romaine spoke of some of his disappointments with the state’s relationship with Suffolk.

For example, when discussing the Long Island Rail Road, Romaine said, “I come from a county where electrification stops at Babylon, Huntington and Ronkonkoma, and everything east of that being diesel. Really? Why aren’t we subject to getting electric trains? Why do we have to put up with dirty diesel?”

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Andrew Thomas argues his case to remain on the zoning board of appeals. Photo courtesy PJ Village website

By Lynn Hallarman

Andrew Thomas, architectural designer and village resident, made his case to remain as a member of the Village of Port Jefferson Zoning Board of Appeals at the Board of Trustees meeting July 31.

Having served on the ZBA since 2014 and the Architectural Review Committee since 2020, Thomas highlighted his experience in a detailed statement. Thomas is the husband of former village trustee Rebecca Kassay, now Democratic candidate for the state Assembly District 4. 

Despite his efforts, trustees voted 3-1 in a resolution to “fill the vacant position under which Thomas was serving in a holdover capacity.” He was replaced with real estate agent and ZBA alternate member, Alexia Poulos. Trustee Kyle Hill cast the dissenting vote, while trustee Stan Loucks was absent. 

Addressing prior concerns about possible conflict of interest from his dual roles on the ZBA and ARC, Thomas offered several solutions to the board including withdrawing from the ARC or recusing himself from certain matters. He stated that legal counsel from the New York Conference of Mayors indicated no conflict exists. 

Zoning procedures

Zoning is the process by which a municipality is divided into separate districts or zones. The goal is to avoid incompatible land uses, like a car wash being built in a residential area. If an applicant, such as the builder of a car wash, is dissatisfied with the zoning regulations, a petition can be lodged with the ZBA for a variance. The ZBA then decides whether to grant or deny this request. 

Holdover status

According to the July 1 organizational minutes of the Board of Trustees, Thomas, along with another ZBA member and three members of the Planning Board are currently in “holdover” status, with terms that have expired as far back as 2022. 

Additionally, a total of 17 volunteer members across several different committees and advisory councils have also been identified in the minutes as serving in holdover status due to expired terms. 

Holdover status occurs when a volunteer member continues to serve after their official term has expired, ensuring that the board, committee or council remains functional. Volunteers in holdover status can be reappointed or replaced by a governing body such as the Board of Trustees according to New York State Public Officers Law. 

When a ZBA member is in holdover status, the Board of Trustees can replace that member without a formal public hearing. This is an exception to New York State law, which mandates a public hearing when a member is being removed “for cause,” such as meeting absences or ethics violations. 

Thomas underscored the importance of the ZBA’s independence from political influence and called for the reappointment of all holdover members to restore proper procedure. He concluded by requesting continued service, stressing the importance of “experience, continuity and public trust” in the board’s functions. 

“I understand how directly and even emotionally land use decisions can affect individual citizens. It is one of our most direct and meaningful interactions with government and it requires great care and respect,” Thomas said in his statement. 

Mayor Lauren Sheprow in an email to TBR stated that “we have recently discovered a comprehensive and consistent lack of timely and accurate recordkeeping of our land use board members by prior administrations over the years, resulting in term start and end dates that are not verifiable.” 

She added, “We are diligently working to bring all boards, committees and councils into compliance with NYS Village Law if they are not.”

The Board of Trustees will hold a work session Aug. 14. The next trustees board meeting open for public comment will be held Aug. 28.

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Pixabay photo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

Back in April, Suffolk County legislators Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) and Ann Welker (D-Southampton) introduced the “Skip the Stuff” bill, which is designed to reduce the amount of condiment packages and single-use utensils distributed.

This bill would prohibit restaurants and food delivery services from providing plastic utensils, straws, condiments or napkins with takeout and delivery food orders, unless the customer explicitly requests them.

This initiative’s goal is to prevent waste, both environmentally and monetarily, as it aims to reduce the pollutant side effects of plastic microparticles and reduce high restaurant overhead costs, respectively.

The bill did not progress out of the Health Committee, as some officials felt that the legislation was a bit of an overstep, and needed fine tuning. Englebright does plan on reintroducing the bill “in some form,” going forward.

So TBR News Media took to the streets, and asked locals what they thought about the matter.

Juan Mendez, Mount Sinai

Juan, an employee of Dunkin’ Donuts, did not believe the bill will make a significant difference, as his

Juan Mendez. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo

restaurant already follows the proposals, more or less.

“We already do that, unless the customer asks us [for condiments or spoons] to be included,” he said.

He explained that there is “an outside area, for any customers that need napkins or straws,” they are just not put in bags by the staff.

“A lot of users don’t even use [these things automatically included] in the bag. If you don’t need it, it’s wasteful.”

Brittany, Port Jefferson

Brittany, who works in Port Jefferson village, had a nuanced stance on the issue.

“I understand for environmental reasons why this would want to be done, completely. But, when you go out, you need something, especially if you’re getting something like ice cream,” she said.

She added that “maybe, if we could use spoons that were better for the environment,” that could provide a potential middle ground.

Angelina of Miller Place and

co-worker Debbie

Both women felt the bill would have a positive impact on the environment.

“I agree with [minimizing plastic utensils]. At the same time, it can be annoying, when it’s not available but I think it is so good for the environment,” Angelina said.

Her co-worker, Debbie, echoed similar sentiments.

“It is a good thing for the environment. On the other hand, like everything, there is a pro and a con to it. For customers who need these things, it can be an inconvenience. But, we have to look a generation ahead. What kind of lifestyle will our grandkids be having [if we pollute our environment] with plastic? It is time to start thinking about the future, and not just now. If it is for our betterment it is worth the sacrifice, and every change must start somewhere.”

Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo

Debbie declined for her picture to be taken and other personal information to be included.

Sam, Port Jefferson

Sam a hostess, felt that customers expect extras as part of their takeout orders. And, that they may not be

pleased if that changed.

“We always give ketchup and utensils. Nobody really asks for it, but, I feel like if we don’t give them, they are going to [be upset]. People come to expect it, as part of the service. You don’t know where everybody is going — they could be going outside to eat and not going home,” she said.

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Local business groups are looking to increase the cross-Sound connection

A Bridgeport & Port Jefferson ferry. File photo

By Mallie Jane Kim

Riding the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry as a walk-on may become more attractive in coming years, since business leaders on both sides of Long Island Sound have reignited interest in coordinating efforts to attract interstate day-trippers.

“We want to get people to visit us, explore the village and understand our history — and patronize our museums and our shops,” said Barbara Ransome, director of operations at the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

In fall of 2019, there was movement toward creating a sort of reciprocal passport system with discounted rates for a walk-on ferry ticket as well as coupons for area businesses in Port Jefferson and the Bridgeport region, according to Ransome, but those efforts ended with the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.

Leaders from the Bridgeport Regional Business Council reached out to Port Jefferson’s chamber this summer and revived hopes for working together, according to Ransome. The two groups had a successful meeting and tour of the Down Port area in June.

“They wanted to learn more about Port Jeff and create a synergy between the two regions,” Ransome said, adding that members of the Port Jefferson chamber showed the visitors highlights of the area, including retail stores, restaurants and ice cream parlors. “The visit went really, really well.”

Now, Ransome is leading a walking tour for a group of about 30 people from the greater Bridgeport region’s Women’s Leadership Network on Thursday, Aug. 1, that will highlight women-owned businesses in Port Jefferson. The group is also slated to tour the Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum and eat at local restaurants.

“We’re fortunate,” Ransome said of Port Jefferson, which, in addition to eateries and retail, boasts Harborfront Park, playhouse Theatre Three and a seasonal ice rink. “When you get off the ferry, you’re right there in the commercial district. It’s very walkable.”

On the Connecticut side, there is a lot of interest in visits across the Sound, according to Natalie Pryce, leadership and development director for Bridgeport’s business council.

“It’s so close, and I don’t think people get that experience,” Pryce said.

She framed Thursday’s trip as an economic development tour for her group of women business leaders — a more interesting opportunity to network than meeting to chat over drinks.

“My preference is not to meet at a bar and just talk every time we get together,” she said. “This way we can learn about other women in business, meet other ladies and support each other.”

For Ransome, the walking tour reawakened hopes of working together toward the passport system idea, or something similar. She said in 2019, the ferry company was amenable to collaborating to figure out discounted tickets — a foot passenger round trip currently costs $39 for adults, with seniors at $28 — and even potentially a shuttle service to places like Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Bass Pro Shops or the Klein Memorial Auditorium. But any such arrangements are still ideas, at this point.

“I will be finding out where we go from here,” Ransome said.

Pryce expressed excitement about working with Ransome as well, adding that other groups under the Bridgeport Regional Business Council umbrella expressed good-natured jealousy for her day trip.

“There’s just interest across the board,” she said. “This is just the beginning — this is a conversation we’re going to continue after Thursday.”

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Political banner on the balcony of the Frigate ice cream and confection store. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

By Lynn Hallarman

A lawsuit upheld in 2022 a local business owner’s right to display a political banner, and now raises questions about municipal control over sign safety and aesthetics. The same sign, “In Trump We Trust,” is back up again.

In 2013, then Port Jefferson Village Mayor Margot Garant knew she had a problem — a proliferation of cheaply made signs cluttering the village’s visual look. Some signs were made of flimsy plastic, pressboard or haphazardly tacked up to storefronts. Some were waving in the breeze, at risk of flying off a facade or airlifting skyward off a property lawn. Others were just unsightly. 

Garant and the trustees decided to revise the village code to help business owners have more choices as a first step to cleaning up junky and unsafe signs. 

‘We had many work sessions to improve the code and make businesses feel like they had options,” Garant said. “Uptown was a sign disaster, but we made progress cleaning up storefronts in line with the village’s character overall.” 

Garant found the sign issue perennial and hard to keep up with. New businesses were easier to manage, but for some older establishments compliance with sign rules felt like government overreach. A few businesses ignored the permitting process altogether or accepted a fine as the price of doing business, according to Garant.

Then, in 2020, George Wallis, from Nissequogue, and the decades-long owner of the property housing the Frigate ice cream/confectionary store and The Steam Room restaurant in the village, used the location to express his support for former President Donald Trump (R). 

Wallis hung an oversized banner containing a political statement off the second-story balcony of the Frigate, a prominent spot at the bustling intersection of East Broadway and Main Street. The building is directly across from the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry terminal, making the display hard to miss. 

From the perspective of village officials, the banner violated several village sign requirements and Wallis did not apply for a permit. 

For one thing, the banner has Goliath-size proportions relative to the dimensions of the two-story Lilliputian-style building. Banners affixed to buildings are not allowed per the code and the pliable plastic material used does not comport with the aesthetic standards of the code. Village officials also worried that the oversized banner, strung across the building’s second-floor balcony, was a driving distraction, as it faces west directly into a three-way intersection — with pedestrians, oftentimes, dashing across the road. Officials wanted it taken down. 

Wallis had wrestled previously with the village government over an unpermitted political sign and had it taken down, but this time he refused to budge.

So the village escalated the situation to a legal remedy in the courts in hopes that he would back down, according to Garant. Wallis, instead, hired a lawyer and fought the charges leveraged against his business entities.

But in several interviews for this story with Garant and current Mayor Lauren Sheprow, opinions from municipal legal experts and a review of publicly available documents suggest that the legal battle, which Wallis won using a free-speech argument, has hamstrung the village’s ability to enforce its sign code and established a legal precedent allowing any person or business to erect a prohibited sign if the content is political. 

The legal complaint

A series of legal briefs filed in 2020 and 2021 by then deputy village attorney Richard Harris, for the Village of Port Jefferson, accused several business entities owned by Wallis of violating local sign ordinances. According to documents reviewed by TBR News Media, these entities allegedly failed to apply for permits and displayed signs of prohibited type, size and material. 

The briefs detail the hanging of two signs in different time frames containing political speech: “In Trump We Trust” and “Impeach Cuomo,” referring to the then New York governor. The charges did not pertain to the banners’ political content, which is protected under the First Amendment’s right to free speech.

Still, Wallis’ attorneys claimed the alleged accusations violated his right to free speech and requested dismissal of the case.

Harris argued, in a nutshell, that Wallis needed to follow the village sign code like everyone else. 

In July 2022, the Honorable Tara Higgins, judge of the village Justice Court, ruled in favor of Wallis, stating that the village’s arguments defending sign ordinances regarding aesthetics, safety and permitting were “unconvincing.”

Village withdraws legal appeal 

Harris submitted a legal appeal, reviewed by TBR News Media, to the Appellate Term of the New York Supreme Court arguing that the judge’s arguments were poorly reasoned and ignored legal precedent regarding a municipality’s ability to govern signs.

According to the New York State Division of Local Government Services, local governments may impose reasonable “time, place and manner” restrictions on speech to set forth the circumstances under which signs may be displayed. Obscene content is not allowed.

“All I can say is that based on the United States Supreme Court precedent, the village can enforce its code against the sign like that,” Mark Cuthbertson, lawyer and municipal legal expert, told TBR in a phone interview. 

He added, “If that’s the village’s policy going forward, based on this legal decision, someone can put up a huge Kamala Harris banner wherever [and however] they want.” He noted that other municipalities may face similar challenges to their sign code rules based on this new legal precedent, which seems to allow political signs to bypass municipal sign ordinances. 

The Sheprow administration subsequently withdrew the village appeal, stating that it “wanted a fresh start” and planned to take “steps against any sign code violations” regardless of the sign’s content.

Reactions from the public

TBR spoke with several patrons on the weekend of July 20-21 near the Frigate to gauge their opinions on the newly-placed banner with the same political message that was displayed in 2020. 

Most expressed approval using descriptors such as “delighted,” “ecstatic” and “in favor.” One woman thanked me for reminding her to take a picture of the banner for her Facebook page. She loved the sign. 

The general sentiment among those surveyed was that the banner represented an expression of free speech and that the village needed to “chill out,” as one supporter put it. Others noted that the village seemed to be enforcing its sign code selectively, singling out the Frigate for sanctions while similar style banners are hung undisturbed throughout downtown Port Jeff. In 2020 press reports, Wallis surrogates had voiced this belief of selective enforcement, suggesting that the village’s actions were driven solely by the banner’s political message. 

Wallis has consistently declined to speak with the press. TBR did not receive a response, either, from the Frigate’s store manager for comment.

During a casual stroll around the village, this reporter identified about seven prohibited banners across various businesses, though these banners contained nonpolitical messages. 

Most of the complaints about the current Frigate banner are directed to the village Town Hall or The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, according to Sheprow. These complaints primarily concern the political content, accusing the village of allowing it to remain. However, the village never had or wanted control over the political content, even before Wallis’ victory in court. 

“The village is nonpartisan,” Sheprow said. “The village would never enter into an endorsement situation or sanction the political speech of any candidate.”

As of writing, village officials have moved to cite all businesses, many for the first time, which are displaying code-prohibited banner-type signs. 

“Personal notifications went out today, including to Mr. Wallis’ business entities,” Sheprow said. 

Many prohibited banners have already been removed to date. As at press time, the Frigate banner was still hanging from the building.

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Town of Brookhaven’s town hall. File photo

By Ava Himmelsbach

The July 18 Town of Brookhaven Board meeting consisted of discussions regarding local concerns, happenings and authorizations.

The board reclassified certain local events as programs for public good. With the town as a co-sponsor, these events would qualify for coverage under the public good insurance.

Discussed as a potential program for public good was the Bethel Hobbs Community Farm Run the Farm event in Centereach.

“This would be Saturday, Aug. 10,” Councilman Neil Manzella (R-Selden) noted. “This is a fantastic event to help bring money and awareness back to the only farm in the 3rd District, I would say, and probably one of the only farms in the middle of the island like that. It is a fantastic farm, [and it] does a lot of [good] for the community, so come on and give a little back. Go on a nice 4-mile run — it’s very popular — [as] most runs are a 5K. This is actually a legitimate 4-mile run, [on] very hilly roads. It draws a huge crowd who partake in it, and we have a great time every year.”

The board voted unanimously to approve this classification for the farm. Manzella, along with the Bethel Hobbs Community Farm, has high hopes for this fun, summer event. He added that he will be playing a managing role in this gathering: “I will run the event, I will not run in the event. How’s that!”

The National Night Out event, scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6, was also considered an event for public good.

This night will consist of multiple free events across Brookhaven. Hosted by the town and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, this event will bring local law enforcement out to host activities and run various displays.

“They’re all convenient to every council district, and we hope that everybody chooses to participate in one,” Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) said. “It’s always a really fun family night, it really is.” The vote regarding the town’s sponsorship and insurance coverage for these events was unanimous.

The board also voted to accept $3,100 in funds donated to the town from the Three Village Dads Foundation for the Gerard Reggio Plaque. “I want to thank the Three Village Dads,” Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said. “That foundation is doing a lot of great work in the Town of Brookhaven, and also helping out Stony Brook Children’s Hospital quite a bit. It’s great work. If you’re watching and you are from Three Village Dads, we thank you.”

Other actions that were approved included the town’s sponsorship and classification of the Shakespeare in the Park and Suffolk County Youth Bureau Division’s Bilingual Drug and Alcohol Education, Prevention and Awareness Presentation events as programs for public good, along with the acceptance of a donation from Canvus of six benches made from recycled materials of wind turbines. These benches will be installed at various town facilities.

Despite decisions on approvals and authorizations involving property planning and contracts specific to local businesses, the popular topics for local families and individuals were largely relating to the town’s public good insurance coverage and classification of local events and happenings. As made clear by these talking points, Brookhaven residents have much to look forward to in the month of August.

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